Egg Free

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

July 15, 2021 by KimiHarris 2 Comments

This refreshing, gluten-free salad is full of flavor with the punch of rice vinegar, the saltiness of fish sauce, the sweetness of honey or sweetener of choice, and the herby savoriness of cilantro and/or basil. It also happens to be one of my favorite meals right now. Not only is it delicious, but it is packed with nutrients!

While, yes, I eat this just because it’s so good, I also aimed to get a rainbow of produce in this recipe, which adds not only more flavor but also important nutrients, antioxidants, and a wide variety of fiber sources. Win-win!

The other aspect I love about all of the added vegetables is that it helps you stay with an appropriate amount of noodles. We often want a huge plateful of pasta — with this recipe, you can have a large plate of pasta, but half of it is vegetables!

This recipe also works for those of you who are on THM (Trim Healthy Mama) as an “E” meal.

We’ve eaten this meal many times through the summer, and it’s perfect for hot weather, but we eat it year-round.

I named this a Vietnamese recipe, although I do want to clarify that this isn’t a claim to being an authentic Vietnamese recipe, but rather, I’ve used some of the flavor profiles and sauce inspiration from Vietnamese cuisine.

Notes on the recipe:

Traditionally, a recipe like this would have used white rice noodles, such as rice sticks. I am using whole grain brown rice noodles. You can get something like these stir-fry Thai Kitchen brown rice noodles, though I have been using brown rice fettuccine noodles, as they are cheaper and similar in taste and texture.
This will need to be served right away. If you aren’t serving it right away, you can keep the elements of the recipe separate, and toss right before serving (toss the noodles with a bit of the sauce and/or oil to keep them from sticking before storing them, however, or simply make the other elements – the sauce, the meat, and the chopped vegetables, and cook the noodles right before serving.

Notes on THM:

While technically you are supposed to use 96% lean meat for an E meal on THM, because I don’t add any fat to this recipe, I use the 93% grasssfed ground beef that I find locally and I think that works well for fat limits for an E meal. If you don’t use a lean meat here, it counts as a cross-over (XO).
Honey isn’t encouraged on THM when in weight loss mode, but the ¼ a cup of honey here is pretty small per serving. I’ve tested this with both honey and xylitol, and both worked very well. Allulose should work perfectly too (and is dog-safe, unlike xylitol).
Brown rice noodles are on plan on THM, but you are encouraged to watch your blood sugar when eating them, if you are sensitive, and to keep your portions small. This recipe works well, because it mixes vegetables with the noodles for a filling meal, without leaning completely on the noodles.
Cassava noodles are not considered on-plan for THM, but for those grain-free, some find that they do well with occasional cassava noodles (cassava is also a wonderful prebiotic fiber!). Some other grain-free noodle options to play with are here.

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

Meat:

1 lb ground beef (96% or up, for an E meal)
1 tsp dried ginger
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos or fish sauce
Optional: 1 tsp onion powder and 1 tsp garlic powder
Optional: pinch or two of red pepper flakes
Add more coconut aminos/tamari/fish sauce, and vinegar to taste

Sauce/Dressing

Scant ¼ cup honey or ¼ cup xylitol. Other options: Allulose, or of-plan organic white sugar
½ cup hot or warm water
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup fish sauce
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
Scant 1 tsp dried ginger
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salad

8-12 oz dried pasta *
2 cucumbers
3-6 green onions
2 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
1 bunch of cilantro
Optional: a few handfuls of (Thai) basil
4 cups shredded or thinly sliced cabbage

*We usually use brown rice noodles, but I also tried this with 8 ounces of cassava noodles for a grain-free option. Both worked! But the cassava needs to especially be eaten right away as it will get mushy if left to sit. Cassava noodles aren’t on THM, although some use it as a personal choice option if needed.

Directions:

Make the sauce by first stirring together the hot or warm water with the sweetener of choice. Add the rest of the ingredients. Set aside.
Prep the vegetables: Peel the cucumbers and cut into small wedges. Seed and thinly slice the sweet bell peppers. Thinly slice cabbage, chop the green onions (removing the top two inches and discarding), and wash the cilantro, remove the stems, and chop.
Cook pasta according to box directions, but make sure you salt well. While the pasta cooks make up the ground beef, adding the seasoning as it cooks, and stirring frequently.
Drain the pasta once just tender, and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Add to a large bowl with the vegetables, and then toss with the dressing.
Serve right away. You can also add more rice vinegar and fish sauce to add more flavor if needed. Over time, the noodles will start absorbing the sauce, so, if needed, you can add a bit more vinegar and either tamari, coconut amino acids, or fish sauce, to taste.

Simple Mexican Coleslaw

April 8, 2021 by KimiHarris 2 Comments

This easy and simple coleslaw is perfect for two things – topping tacos or using it as a flavorful base for a “taco salad.” Vegetable sides are regularly overlooked, but they shouldn’t be! They not only add a lot of important nutrition, antioxidants, and fiber, but they also add vibrant flavor.

That said, I like to keep my sides simple so that I can get dinner on the table quickly. This recipe fits the bill.

I make a large bowl of it, and serve it on taco night. For those in the family who regularly enjoy corn, they use it both in their tacos and as a side salad. For those of us who don’t always eat corn (or who are eating using keto or using Trim Healthy Mama principles), we use it as a base and then top it with top tender meat, salsa, avocado, sour cream, and cheese.

Mexican coleslaw topped with meat and avocado.

It’s a really delicious and satisfying meal, with taco shells or without, and is a regular part of our menu.

While cabbage dressed up this way is just delicious, I also love that the regular addition of cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, can help prevent or reduce inflammation (1, 2, 3). Also, consider using red cabbage! It has other benefits because of its anthocyanin content (1), and also looks beautiful.

Related Recipes:

• Simple Mexican Quinoa Bowls

• Mexican Quinoa Salad

• Mexican Chocolate Dairy-free Ice Cream

• Lacto-Fermented Escabeche

• 7 Layer Mexican Dip

Simple Mexican Coleslaw

• 1 medium-large cabbage (I sometimes use half of a green, and half of a red)

• 1 bunch of cilantro, washed, stemmed and chopped

• ½ cup fresh lime juice*

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3-6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

Wash the outside of the cabbage, and then cut in half using a large, sharp knife. Thinly slice the cabbage after cutting out the core. Add to a large bowl, and then add the cilantro.
Add the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup, and stir together. Pour over cabbage and cilantro, and toss. Taste test, and add more salt, olive oil, or lime juice, as desired.
Serve right away, or premake an hour or two beforehand and allow the flavor to meld, and the cabbage to slightly soften.

Variation: Cut the lime juice to ¼ of a cup and add ½ cup of orange juice for a more mild version. For a kick, add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.

Does Lemon Water Offer Benefits?

January 25, 2018 by KimiHarris 7 Comments

Years ago I started the practice of drinking lemon water in the morning before I ate. The habit didn’t stick for my morning routine, but I’ve been enjoying drinking lemon water in recent years throughout the day.

I’ve long found the habit helpful when I was starting to catch a virus, but more recently I’ve had several Lyme patients mention to me that they feel better when drinking plenty of lemon water – especially when they are experiencing the dreaded “die-off” effect.

One simple reason we may experience this is because lemon water adds a small amount of minerals and vitamins to water, and helps replace electrolytes. I’ve found that I feel hydrated faster with lemon water in comparison to plain water. Sometimes I add a pinch of sea salt too.

But there may be more benefits than just simple hydration. Lemon juice is a source of vitamin C and flavonoids which could both offer benefits. I’ve personally found supplementing with vitamin C helpful, but lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C in their whole food form.

Here is some information on citrus flavonoids and other citrus benefits, and another study on the nutritional properties of citrus. A Japanese study found a positive correlation to lowering blood pressure in walking and lemon ingestion, and a study on mice found that lemon juice was helpful in protecting the liver from alcohol injury.

One of the (many) reasons the Mediterranean diet is thought to be so healthful is because of their abundant citrus in the diet. This quote from the research, “Citrus as a Component of the Mediterranean Diet” gives a good idea of the nutritional power of citrus as a whole.

“Citrus fruits have well-documented nutritional and health benefits. Since ancient times that citrus has been used not only as food but also in folk medicine to treat some complaints: bronchitis, tuberculosis, cough, cold, menstrual disorder, hypertension, anxiety, depression and stress (Favela-Hernández et al., 2016). They can actually help preventing and curing some diseases and, above all, they are essential in a balanced and tasty diet. Citrus fruits do not possess sodium, fat and cholesterol, but are sources of several minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper), vitamins (C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9), dietary fiber and secondary phytochemicals (carotenoids, phenols, including flavonoids, coumarins, limonoids, alkaloids and essential oils) which alone or in combination have been referred as being able to prevent inflammation, degenerative diseases, heart disease and even cancer (Ejaz et al., 2006; Lv et al., 2015).Potassium not only helps to maintain the body’s water, acid balance and normal pressure, but also is important in transmitting nerve impulses to muscles as well as in the muscle contraction (Economos & Clay, 1999). Vitamin C plays a key role in the absorption of inorganic iron; which can aid in the treatment of anaemia provided that adequate medicines are also administered. This vitamin is also important in the formation of collagen. A deficiency of this vitamin is responsible for the weakness of those tissues in which collagen is an essential element (ligaments, tendons, dentin, skin, blood vessels and bones). ” Read more: Citrus as a Component of the Mediterranean Diet (PDF Download Available). Available from: [accessed Jan 25 2018].

Crystal over at MoneySavingMom.com has talked about how she drinks an entire gallon of lemon water every day and that it made a huge difference in her health and energy. She’s not alone in experiencing positive effects – though not everyone chooses to drink quite that much lemon water.

I do know that I feel better drinking it, so I have continued the habit. I don’t argue with success!

Tips for Lemon Juice Consumption:

Morning Cup of Lemon Juice Tea: In a cup of warm/hot water, squeeze half of a lemon and stir in honey to taste. (Some add cayenne pepper as well). Drink in the morning before breakfast.

Pre-make Lemon Water for the Day: Whether you are aiming for eight cups or a gallon of water, you can premake your lemon juice for the day. I use about 4-5 tablespoons of lemon juice per eight cups (it doesn’t need to be exact).

Drinking it Freshly Squeezed: I often like to squeeze a half of a lemon in a glass of water as I’m thirsty throughout the day. To make this practical see my notes below about my lemon squeezer.

Hot Lemon Mint Tea: I also make this Lemon Mint Tea, that uses a whole lemon, peel and all.

In Smoothies and Juices: I also enjoy adding a small wedge of lemon (seeded, but peel left on) to my smoothies and juicing it with veggies. (When using lemon peel make sure you are using organic lemons and wash them well.)

Hand Juicer I Love: I got tired quickly of hand squeezing lemons or using inadequate lemon juicers. My husband got me this lemon juicer (pictured above), and it is amazing! It gets all of the lemon juice out easily, and also doesn’t put stress on my hands. (Make sure you use it correctly. The lemon half goes in “backward” so that it is turned inside out as it is squeezed.)

Vanilla Lemonade: If you aren’t used to the sourness of lemon water, you can use vanilla stevia to sweeten it. Vanilla lemonade is good!

Bottled Lemon Juice: If you would like to use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh, choose glass if you can. This organic lemon juice is a great choice. Not only will you avoid plastic chemicals, but it will also have more stable vitamin C in it according to this research, “Regarding packing material, vitamin C in fruit juice is quite stable when stored in metal or glass containers, whereas juice stored in plastic bottles has a much shorter shelf-life. ”

Don’t brush your teeth directly after drinking any citrus juice (wait at least 15 minutes). I also like to swish ph neutral water in my mouth afterwards to protect my teeth.

What about you? Have you found lemon water helpful?

Some links above may be affiliate links.

Thai Chicken Fried Rice

July 20, 2016 by Katie Mae 2 Comments

By Katie Mae Stanley of Nourishing Simplicity

Savory grains of rice are mixed with fresh summer vegetables, tender chicken, and spicy basil.

Thai chicken fried rice is the perfect dish to enjoy anytime, especially in the summer when gardens are bursting with zucchini, bell peppers, string beans, and basil, all of which make up this dish.

I am a huge rice fan. Part of that comes from living in Mexico for ten years where I ate it almost every day. The other part is simply because rice is pretty tasty. It helps that rice is an excellent way to stretch pricier items like meat. Even now that I have been State-side for over two years I crave rice if I go more than a few days without eating it.

Rice is the humble staple of many cultures. Whether it is Arabic rice, Chinese egg fried rice, Jamaican rice and peas, or a savory miso rice congee, rice is an integral part of life. It is the substance that keeps many people going.

Unless it is necessary for me to go grain-free I don’t see my kitchen ever going without rice.

Thai is one of my weakness when it comes to picking a restaurant to eat at. If I could, I would eat it out at least once a week but that is not exactly budget friendly.

Thankfully over time I have started to learn how to recreate some of my favorite dishes, like yellow curry or Kimi’s simple Thai broth. It was only a matter of time that I finally broke down to create a Thai chicken fried rice that satisfied my cravings.

This Thai chicken fried rice is a combination of three of my favorite restaurants in various parts of California.

I mentioning making velvet chicken in this recipe. It is a process of poaching the chicken to make it more tender. It is a beneficial step but not necessary. There are times when I skip it, so don’t pressure yourself to do it. If you have a little extra time then it is worth it in my book.

If you are confused about why we are okay with white rice read more about it here.

Thai Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups steamed white rice (Jasmine preferred), made at least a few hours before and chilled
1 pound chicken breast, thinly sliced and velveted (optional)
1 cup Thai basil*
1 cup zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced
1 cup string beans or long beans, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons coconut/palm sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce/tamari for gluten free
1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt

* If Thai basil can not be found, feel free to substitute with sweet basil. To cut the basil roll a few leaves at a time into a cigar shape and thinly slice.

Directions:

1. Cook the rice a few hours to a day or two in advance. Allow to cool.

2. Thinly slice the chicken breast. Use the velveting method to par-cook the chicken or set the raw chicken aside to cook in the skillet.

3. Quarter the zucchini, cutting it 1/4 of an inch thick. Remove the end from the string or long beans, cutting them into 1/4 inch pieces. Cut the bell pepper in half, removing the seeds. Thinly slice the bell pepper. Roll a few basil leaves at a time like a cigar. Thinly slice the rolls of basil. Crush the garlic.

4. Mix the soy sauce, palm sugar, and salt in a small dish.

5. In a wok or cast iron skillet heat the oil for two minutes. Add the green beans and bell pepper. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, allowing them to blister, stirring frequently.

6. Add the chicken and crushed garlic. Stir until the chicken is almost cooked.

7. Add the rice, zucchini, the soy sauce mixture. Stir for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and heated through. Add the basil and stir again.

Top with extra basil if desired.

Thai Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients

2 cups steam white rice (Jasmin preferred)
1 lb chicken breast, thinly sliced and velveted (optional)
1 cup Thai basil*
1 cup zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced
1 cup string beans or long beans, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 TBS coconut oil
2 tsp coconut/palm sugar
2 tsp soy sauce/tamari for gluten free
½ tsp unrefined salt

Instructions

* If Thai basil can not be found, feel free to substitute with sweet basil. To cut the basil roll a few leaves at a time into a cigar shape and thinly slice.
Cook the rice a few hours to a day or two in advance. Allow to cool.
Thinly slice the chicken breast. Use the velveting method to par-cook the chicken or set the raw chicken aside to cook in the skillet.
Quarter the zucchini, cutting it a ¼ of an inch thick. Remove the end from the string or long beans, cutting them into ¼ inch pieces. Cut the bell pepper in half, removing the seeds. Thinly slice the bell pepper. Roll a few basil leaves at a time like a cigar. Thinly slice the rolls of basil. Crush the garlic.
Mix the soy sauce, palm sugar, and salt in a small dish.
In a wok or cast iron skillet heat the oil for two minutes. Add the green beans and bell pepper. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, allowing them to blister, stirring frequently.
Add the chicken and crushed garlic. Stir until the chicken is almost cooked.
Add the rice, zucchini, the soy sauce mixture. Stir for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and heated through. Add the basil and stir again.
Top with extra basil if desired.

Some links may be affiliate links. I may earn a small commission on items purchased through my links.

Egg Free

Notes on the recipe:

Notes on THM:

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

Tips for Lemon Juice Consumption:

Thai Chicken Fried Rice

Footer